The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Professor Fatima Azi-Waziri, unveiled a week-long plan of activities to celebrate the forthcoming 2023 World Day against Human Trafficking along with the 20th anniversary of the agency at a press conference on Tuesday.
The activities, which will begin from July 24 to July 31, include a 2-day survivors forum for trafficked victims, a live streamed conversation between NAPTIP, the public, and its stakeholders, a special Jumaat prayer, a church thanksgiving service, a novelty football match, and an awareness walk.
Permanent secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development Dr Nasir Sani Gwarzo, commended the agency and the admirable achievements it had amassed in 20 years.
He said, “As the supervising Ministry of NAPTIP, this 20th anniversary is a worthy celebration bearing in mind the extent of human trafficking issues we faced as a country before the creation of NAPTIP and also its notable achievements such as awareness campaigns and sensitization strategically designed to educate people about human trafficking and its associated violence, the establishment of secondary school vanguards, and rolling out the Trafficking in Persons curricula in schools nationwide.
“In terms of policy development with support from the Ministry, the National Action Plan on Human Trafficking in Nigeria (2022-2026); the National Policy on Protection and Assistance to Trafficked Persons in Nigeria; and the Protocol for Identification, Safe Return, and Rehabilitation of Trafficked Persons, all targeted at revolutionizing the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria, were approved by the Federal Executive Council in February and March 2022.
The Director General noted that the past 20 years have been a transformative journey marked by growth and reinvention for the agency, especially in the areas of enhanced efforts, expanded outreach, operational effectiveness, strengthened collaborations and partnerships
She said, “In 20 years, we have seen the crime of human trafficking spread like wildfire in terms of enormity, trends, and patterns. It has not been an easy fight to dismantle these networks.
“However, I can say that Nigeria is better poised to control and tackle human trafficking due to the collaborations efforts of everyone. The public is better informed about the issues of human trafficking and this is due to the amplified visibility and collaborations of NAPTIP and its stakeholders”
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
